• 4 large lamb shanks
  • plain flour
  • butter
  • olive oil
  • 2 red onions , thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 100ml balsamic vinegar
  • 500ml red wine , full bodied
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • a sprig of rosemary
  • 1kg new potatoes , peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 2 large sprigs of thyme , leaves only
  • 4 large sprigs mint , leaves only, chopped

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Dust the lamb shanks with flour and season. Heat a casserole and add a little butter and olive oil. Add the onions and cook until soft, then scoop out. Put in the lamb shanks and brown all over. Put the onions back in the casserole with the garlic, balsamic, wine, tomato purée, rosemary and season.
  2. Cover, put in the oven and cook for 21/2 hours until the meat is almost falling off the bone. Remove the lamb from the casserole and keep warm. Boil down the juices to thicken them if they seem too thin.
  3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until soft. Drain, add a knob of butter, thyme, mint, then season and crush lightly. Serve with the lamb shanks and gravy.